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Articles Misc

How to find the best online casinos in Finland

Nowadays there are many different kind of online casinos on the market. Majority of them are of course targeted to wider audience and can be found in English. However, when you’re lucky, you can find an online casino also in your native language. In that sense we Finns are often very lucky. But what if you want to play in an online casino, which is targeted to the Finnish market and you are not a fluent Finnish speaker? Typically, when typing in “online casino”, search engines are offering you only something from the UK markets, or casinos that are targeted to the entire world.

Sometimes it is best to choose those online casinos, that are targeted to quite niche markets. For us Finns this comes naturally, since we are using Finnish to look for the best possible casinos. The secret to finding smaller, but still interesting online casinos in Finland, is to start using Finnish keywords, such as “nettikasino”, “tervetulobonus” and “ilmaiskierrokset”. We will explain the meanings of these words later on in this article, so keep on reading!

Indeed, we are here to help. This article will introduce you guys to the most important keywords that you should use when looking for the best online casinos on the market. Let’s start digging into this by introducing some of the key elements you should be considering, when deciding what kind of casino to choose.

Things to consider

First of all it’s important to understand, that not all online casinos offer similar things. Some casinos are focusing on sportsbooks, others are concentrating on traditional casino games. These include slots, table games, video poker and quite often also live casino games. Some casinos offer also games like keno, bingo and lotto, but not all of them.

When you are choosing the best casino for you, it is important to figure out, what exactly is it that you want from a casino. Is it a great sportsbook or are you more interested in slots or table games? Or are scratch cards the thing you are most passionate about? Once you have decided what you want from your online casino, you should also think about the possible bonuses.

Are you interested in bonuses that many online casinos are offering to their new (and already existing) customers? And if so, what is your preference? Do you wish to get free spins or deposit bonuses, or both? How about cashbacks, are you interested in getting them as well? These are all important things to consider, since these determine the keywords that you should be using when finding a casino for yourself.

Crucial keywords and their meanings

Let’s say that you want to find an online casino, that is targeted for the Finnish market. Now you know, that you mainly want to play slots, maybe occasionally something else as well, but the main focus is now on the slots. OK. Then you also want to get some nice and juicy bonuses from the casino. You believe the best deal for you, as an enthusiastic slot player, would be an offer which includes both free spins and deposit bonus. Here we go!

How to search an online casino

An online casino in Finnish can be written in a few different ways. You can try these keywords: “nettikasino” “netti kasino”, “netticasino” and “netti casino”. This is the first and most important keyword in finding the suitable online casino for you.

How to search for slots

Then let’s say you want to search by games. Slots are “kolikkopelit” in Finnish. Sometimes it can be enough just to type that one into the search engine, but it might be also helpful to add in some more specific keywords.

Other keywords you can try when searching for slots are for instance “pelikoneet” or “hedelmäpeliautomaatit”. That looks like a freaking word monster, right? Nevertheless, it can help you to find what you are looking for as well! Don’t be afraid of the word monster!

How to search free spins and deposit bonuses

By typing “ilmaiskierroksia” you will let the search engine know, that you want an online casino with free spins. You can for instance type either “kolikkopelit ilmaiskierroksia”, or “nettikasino ilmaiskierroksia”. These both are equally OK, but trying both of them will give you more options.

And finally, let’s have a look at how to find the right deposit bonuses. It is important to understand that in Finnish we have many, many words meaning the exact same thing. Not to mention we also fail to write them correctly sometimes: compound words are taught at school, but still majority of Finns fail to write them correctly. One example of those compound words was already in this article, the word meaning online casino is correctly written as “nettikasino” but can be seen as “netti kasino” also.

Anyways, you can search for deposit bonuses, too, with many different words. These are for instance “talletusbonus”, “kasinobonus” or tervetulobonus”.

Casino guides can help too

There are also plenty of different sites that are collecting and comparing information about online casinos. These sites are in Finnish, but you don’t actually need to understand that much, since by just browsing through the sites will give you a glimpse of all the possible online casinos around. This will reduce the stress from having to search on your own, so it is really convenient. One of these sites is https://mrcasinova.com/fi/. It is a clear and informative site, that we believe would be helpful also for others, not just Finnish speakers.

Was this article helpful? We sure hope it was! Our final advice is to just be curious: try different ways of finding the best online casino for you and use all the tools that are available, Then all you have to do is enjoy the games, the bonuses and the big wins!

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Blogs FREE! Blog

Estonian language in Family Guy

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Cinema Features

HIFF – Love & Anarchy brings Spike Lee to Finland

The 31st Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy is organised from September 20th to 30th, 2018. Spike Lee, a true trailblazer of American and more specifically African-American cinema, is the festival’s honorary guest. Other main guests include legendary director of German cinema Margarethe von Trotta, Australian cult director Stephan Elliott and German-French-Iranian filmmaker Emily Atef. The collaboration between HIFF and Yle will continue this year in the form of French cinema.

Love & Anarchy is honoured to bring highly accomplished filmmakers to Helsinki this year. HIFF’s honorary guest is the Academy Award winning American director Spike Lee, who will be holding a masterclass at the festival. HIFF will screen Lee’s hugely popular new film BLACKKKLANSMAN in addition to DO THE RIGHT THING (1989), the biggest hit of the second edition of the festival. Spike Lee’s visit is organised in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Finland and BlacKkKlansman actor Jasper Pääkkönen.

The Grand Old Lady of German cinema Margarethe von Trotta will be attending the festival. Besides Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders, she is one of the most important directors of New German Cinema. Von Trotta will bring to Helsinki her new documentary SEARCHING FOR INGMAR BERGMAN, in which a number of filmmakers discuss the Swedish maestro’s influence on their own work. Von Trotta’s visit is organised in collaboration with the Hanaholmen cultural centre.

Stephan Elliott, whose colourful comedy THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT was one of the hits of HIFF 1994, will be joining us all the way from Australia. The director, whose work has brought LGBTQ+ themes into mainstream cinema, will be introducing his new film SWINGING SAFARI. In addition, Priscilla will be shown as a special drag screening as part of the new Love & Anarchy Trailblazers section.

Director Emily Atef brings her film 3 DAYS IN QUIBERON from Berlin to Helsinki. The film, which won most German Film Awards at the Lola-Gala in April, is a recreation of the legendary film actress Romy Schneider‘s iconic interview.

At the end of the festival, the R&A Shorts sidebar will welcome the performance art group LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner, which includes Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf. The festival presents the trio’s new film #TAKEMEANYWHERE. The visit is organised in collaboration with the Finnish Institute in London.

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Articles Concerts Misc Music

Trip hop pioneer Tricky to headline Station Narva festival

Trip hop pioneer Tricky will headline the music and city culture festival Station Narva along Echo & the Bunnymen and Actress. The first edition of the Station Narva festival will take place in the easternmost Estonian city Narva on 21st-23rd September. From today, 27th August the single-day tickets for the festival are available for purchase for 25 euros.

The festival is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia and powered by Telia.

Tricky, one of the most influential trip hop artists, will perform in the post-apocalyptic surroundings of the grand industrial architecture complex of Kreenholm Manufacturing Company on Friday, 21st September.

Tricky, real name Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws, is a trip hop pioneer from Bristol, UK, currently residing in Berlin. A quarter-century after his first appearance on wax, and collaborations with Beyoncé, Yoko Ono, and Grace Jones, he still possesses a sound that he made entirely his own – a blend of hip hop, ragga, rock and disembodied lyrical threats, reconstructualising samples and slices of both the most respected black music and the tackiest pop. Tricky began his career as an early collaborator of Massive Attack before embarking on a solo career with his debut album, Maxinquaye, in 1995. The album went gold in the U.K and was nominated for Mercury Prize; the critics spazzed out and David Bowie himself wrote a prose poem about the artist for Q magazine. In 2017 Tricky returned with his 13th album, “ununiform“, a delicate, storming and intricate album that saw him take perhaps his most radical step yet – a journey into happiness and contentment, confronting his legacy, history, and even death itself. Four tracks of the album were recorded in Moscow, featuring Russian rappers Scriptonite, Vasily Vakulenko (Basta), and Smokey Mo.

The live music hotspots of the festival will be the Kreenholm Manufacturing Company and the cultural hacktivists’ headquarters Art Club Ro-Ro on 21st and 22nd September. Along Tricky the headliners of the festival are the grandmasters of nocturnal pop Echo & the Bunnymen and the cerebral electronic music producer Actress, both from the UK.

Station Narva music programme by day:

Friday, 21st September: Tricky (UK), Actress (UK), Jenny Wilson (SE), Una Bomba 50 + (EE), Zahir (EE), Grechka (RU), View (FI), Beebilõust (EE), RSAC (RU), Shortparis (RU), Propazha (EE)

Saturday, 22nd September: Echo & the Bunnymen (UK), Gazelle Twin (UK), 12EEK Monkey (EE), Mart Avi (EE), Joensuu1685 (FI), Fever Dream (IS), Sõpruse Puiestee (EE), Электрофорез / Electroforez (RU), Indrek Spungin (EE), Tam i Tut (EE), Eksponatika Clan (EE) Guesthouse (EE), PTF1987 (EE)

Besides the two-day music programme, the whole city will come alive with various interactions during Station Narva. On Sunday, 23rd September, Narva will receive the annual title of the “autumn capital”, followed by a public get-together meal at the long table on the shores of the River Narva. A trilingual stand-up performance will take place in cooperation with Comedy Estonia, and the European Commission Representation in Estonia will arrange Speak Dating sessions. Narva Art Residency will offer art activities and host public talks under the umbrella of the Narva’s BAZAR opinion festival. Station Narva’s info desk along with DIGIX Games Café will be open in the Narva College of the University of Tartu. The full programme of Station Narva will be announced in the beginning of September.

Station Narva 2018 Festival Passes are on sale at Piletilevi web shop and sales points across Estonia for 39 euros. Single Day Tickets for music programme on 21st and 22nd September can be purchased for 25 euros.

https://www.piletilevi.ee/eng/tickets/muusika/mitmesugust/station-narva-festival-2018-echo–the-bunnymen-uk-tricky-uk-actress-uk-jt-58198/

The festival pass and day ticket are not valid for the Comedy Estonia stand-up show on 23rd September at Ro-Ro Club.

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Articles FREE! Blog Misc

Mr Greenin uusi virtuaalinen live-casino – hitti vai huti?

Blackjack, ruletti, baccarat, pöytäpokerit… Jos olet joskus vieraillut Helsingin Grand Casinolla tai jollain ulkomaalaisella kivijalkacasinolla, olet varmasti nähnyt, kuinka suosittuja nämä perinteiset pöytäpelit oikein ovat. Pelaajat rakastavat edelleen niiden verrattain yksinkertaista pelimekaniikkaa, jossa omilla valinnoilla on kuitenkin tärkeä rooli. Säännöt ja strategia on siis syytä opetella kunnolla, jotta saa peleistä kaiken irti.

Live-casinot tuovat nämä suosikkipelit casinopelaajien ulottuville ympäri maailman. Ne toimivat perinteisten netticasinoiden sisällä omina osioinaan, joihin ei tarvitse luoda erillistä tiliä. Avaamalla tilin netticasinolle saa käyttöönsä myös sen live-casinon – tai live-casinot.

Live Beyond Live – askel kohti aitoa virtuaalista casinokokemusta

Tässä artikkelissa katsastamme yhden Suomen suosituimman casinon, Mr Greenin, uuden live-casinopalvelun, jota kutsutaan vaikuttavalla nimellä ”Live Beyond Live”. Se ei korvaa Mr Greenin jo olemassa olevaa live-casinoa vaan pyrkii tarjoamaan vielä aidomman kokemuksen niille pelaajille, joille perinteinen live-casinokaan ei ole tarpeeksi. Vaan onko herra Vihreä yhtä tyylikäs livenä kuin kampanjoissaan?

Jos olet seurannut pelialaa viime vuosina, saatat muistaa, kuinka suuren hypen saattelemana virtuaalilasit otettiin vastaan. Moni casino alkoi välittömästi suunnitella omaa virtuaalista 3D-peliympäristöään, jossa hyödynnettäisiin virtuaalilaseja, kuten Oculus Riftiä. Idea oli hyvä, mutta toteutus tuntui jäävän kaikilla hieman puolitiehen.

Tästä ei kuitenkaan voi varsinaisesti syyttää casinoita. Virtuaalilaseilla pelaaminen ei ainakaan vielä ole ottanut juurikaan tulta alleen, sillä teknologian taso ja hinta eivät ole oikein tasapainossa. Vaikka Oculus on saanut hyviäkin uutisia, kuten huhtikuussa julkaistava Skyrim VR, joka tukee Oculus Riftiä, lienee hinta kuitenkin sunnuntaipelaajille edelleen liikaa. Esimerkiksi Oculus Rift ja Touch -paketista joutuu edelleen Oculuksen kotisivujen mukaan maksamaan 449 euroa. Ja kun ihmiset jättivät virtuaalilasit hyllyyn, haudattiin idea virtuaalisesta 3D-pelaamisesta myös useimmilla casinoilla hetkeksi.

Mr Greenin Live Beyond Live ei pyri aloittamaan virtuaalilasibuumia uudelleen. Se ottaa sen sijaan fiksusti idean parhaat puolet käyttöönsä ja muokkaa niistä jo yleisessä käytössä olevan nykyteknologian mukaisen tyylikkään sekoituksen. Pelaajat liikkuvat 3D-peliympäristössä ja pelaavat virtuaalisessa casinohuoneessa, mutta kaikki toimii silti nopeasti ja sulavasti, eikä lisälaitteita tarvita. Kaikki modernit älypuhelimet ja tabletit ovat tuettujen laitteiden listalla, joten kuka tahansa voi astua sisään tähän casinomaailmaan missä ja milloin vain.

Tervetuloa Los Angelesiin!

Virtuaalinen casino on siitä mukava paikka, että se voi sijaita missä tahansa. Mr Greenillä on päätetty sijoittaa Live Beyond Live sellaiseen paikkaan, jossa maisemia kelpaa katsella pidempäänkin. Los Angeles on tähän oiva valinta, ja yhteen sen luksuskattohuoneistoista on nyt viritetty tyylikäs pieni casino. Taustalla näkyy öisen kaupungin valoja ja taivasta, jota valaisevat lentokoneet sekä nousevat ja laskevat helikopterit.

Live Beyond Live sisältää kirjoitushetkellä neljä pelipöytää (kaksi rulettia, kaksi blackjackia), joiden ääressä kortteja jakavat ja rulettipyörää pyörittävät oikeat jakajat. Fyysisesti heitä ei toki ole Los Angelesiin saakka lennätetty, mutta virtuaalinen peliympäristö mahdollistaa sen, että pöydät pelinhoitajineen vaikuttavat todella sijaitsevan tyylikkäässä kattohuoneistossa.

Ei mikään aavecasino

Jakajien ja pelipöytien lisäksi casinolla liikkuu myös ihmisiä. Virtuaalicasinoilta tuttuun tyyliin pöytien ääressä istuvat pelaajat ovat todella paikalla, ja voit seurata heidän pelaamistaan samaan aikaan kuin pelaat itse. Neljä pöytää on viritetty pienehköön tilaan niin, että reaaliaikainen videokuva kattaa kerralla ainakin pöydän tai pari. Näin voit katsoa, kuinka muut voittavat viereisissä pöydissä, tai muuttaa kanssapelaajasi kateudesta vihreiksi osumalla itse suurvoittoon. Casinolla pyörii menossa mukana myös Mr Green itse – siis sivuston mainoskampanjoista tuttu vihreään pukuun sonnustautunut herrasmies.

Oman pelipöydän valitseminen onnistuu kahdella tapaa. Nopeimmin uuden pöydän saa valittua yksinkertaisesti klikkaamalla sitä omalla näytöllään. Jos istut esimerkiksi blackjack-pöydässä, mutta haluat siirtyä hetkeksi ruletin pariin, napauta vain pelaajasymbolia kyseisen pöydän ääressä. Pääset siirtymään uuteen pöytään välittömästi, ja olet valmis pelaamaan seuraavalla kierroksella.

Jos haluat kokea vielä aidomman casinoelämyksen, voit lähteä tallustamaan ympäri kattohuoneistoa minikartan avulla. Sen kautta näet kaikki jakajat ja pöytien tiedot, jotta sopivan tuolin valitseminen on helpompaa.

Pöydän vaihtaminen tuo pelaamiseen mukavaa vaihtelua, sillä samalla vaihtuu myös kamerakulma, josta casinoa katselet. Jos esimerkiksi haluat seurata ison panoksen pelejä, mutta jatkaa silti omaa pelaamistasi, voit valita pienemmän panostason pöydän, josta on suora näköyhteys haluamaasi pöytään.

Näin se toimii

Kuten sanottua, Mr Greenin Live Beyond Live on saatavilla ainoastaan mobiililaitteille. Mitään erillistä ohjelmistoa ei tarvitse ladata, mutta pelitili on luotava ennen pelaamisen aloittamista. Toisin kuin tavalliset casinopelit, live-casinopelit eivät ole yleensä kokeiltavissa ilmaiseksi, ja samaa koskee myös Live Beyond Liveä. Sinun on siis tehtävä casinolle pieni talletus, jotta pääset voittamaan virtuaalimuodossa.

Kun tili on avattu, pääset pelaamaan nopeasti. Avaa vain virtuaalicasino, valitse pöytäsi ja istu jollekin vapaista tuoleista. Panoksen valitseminen onnistuu rullaamalla laitteesi ruutua hieman alaspäin. Ole tarkkana, jotta ehdit valita oikean panoksen, ennen kuin pelikierros alkaa – muuten kierros jää sillä kerralla välistä.

Pelisysteemin oppii todella nopeasti, joten Live Beyond Liveä voi huoletta suositella hieman kokemattomammillekin nettipelaajille. Kyseessä on onnistunut kokonaisuus jo nyt, ja jäämme mielenkiinnolla odottamaan, laajeneeko konsepti jatkossa esimerkiksi uusien pelien merkeissä. Ja ehkäpä ne virtuaalilasitkin tulevat vielä…

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Cover story Interviews Misc

Interview with Finnish snowboarder Enni Rukajärvi

Enni Rukajärvi has already become a living legend in the history of Finnish sports after achieving her second Olympic medal at PyengChang during last winter. Bringing the focus and attention to female participation in winter sports in Finland, she is an example of endurance, perseverance and skills owning an adventurous spirit hungry to overcome the next challenge. FREE! Magazine had the chance to send her a few questions about her past, present and future. If you want to see her amazing snowboarding skills live, you can have soon the chance to see her competing in the incoming X Games to be celebrated in Norway between 18-20 of May.

First of all, thanks a lot for attending FREE! Magazine’s questions, Enni! You competed recently last February on the Olympic Games at PyeongChang, where you got a bronze medal in slopestyle and also competed in Big Air discipline. How was the general experience there in South Korea and your memories of the competitions?

-I liked South Korea, people were nice and food was good. Everything worked pretty well, slope style course was well built and Big air jump was nice too. Just the windy conditions were a down side and it was one of my scariest moments to compete in those crazy windy conditions during the slopestyle.

In what ways was similar or different to your previous first (silver) medal in Sochi in 2014?

-In many ways it was different, first of all Sochi was my first Olympics so I didn’t know what to expect at all and also during the Sochi games I was injured and not sure if I was even able to compete so it was a big battle to even make it happen. I felt way more pressure there and I got quite a lot media attention in Finland. After I landed my last run in Sochi I was just so happy to land a run after all the struggle I have had there and I was also happy that it was finally over.

Going to South Korea everything felt way more easier and less exciting because I already knew what to expect. I also felt less pressure. It was such a shame we had to compete in that crazy weather but again after my second run I was just happy to land a run and survive. Also all the media attention after getting the medal felt easier this time.

Was it demanding to participate in both slopestyle and air competitions during same Olympics? If I am not mistaken, this was the first time that Air was introduced in the Olympics. Do they require any particular separated training/mind set for each discipline?

-Yes and no, for sure slopestyle took a lot of energy already but Big Air is kinda easier especially after slopestyle when you only need to concentrate on one jump instead of a whole run. For me it doesn’t require different mind set or training, I think they go hand in hand.

Could you tell us how and why you started practicing snowboarding?

-My home is really close to a ski resort in North of Finland where the winters are long so it was kinda natural thing to do. I started skiing first and then I wanted to try snowboarding because it looked so cool. Also I was always interested to learn new things and tricks so snowboarding was perfect thing to do.

What is what you love the most about snowboarding?

-You can always learn new things and challenge yourself and do it with your friends without rules.

I have heard that you pretty much love practising many other kind of sports too. What do you do when you are not snowboarding?

-Skateboarding, gym, yoga, biking, jogging, different kind of games like basketball, beach volleyball etc..pretty much everything

Snowboard practice looks a lot of fun but certainly there is always a big risk of injuries. How do you face the situations when you have hurt yourself and then you are back on the snow? Do snowboarders have a bit of special mind set to disregard the risks?

-Always after injury it takes some time to get 100 % back, but best way for me is just start riding and doing really easy tricks to built the confidence back and when you do that at some point you just feel as good as before and you are ready to try new tricks again. For sure snowboarders have a bit of a special mind set for everything and you don’t think about the risks that much when you are snowboarding.

Following up the previous question, when the years pass by practicing the sport, do you always keep the attitude the same or is there some moment when you can think of a jump or a trick that you would have tried with no hesitation when being 17 but then you feel more cautious to try when you have competed for several years?

-For me I think that goes other way around actually, I have always been pretty hesitated and thought through really well before I try anything new. I’m way better rider now so I know I can try crazier things now than when I was 17 so with my experience I have got to be less hesitant about trying new stuff.

When you are competing, do you have any particular routine to concentrate in the minutes/seconds before being ready to start on the ramp?

-I kinda do. I like to listen music, think about my run and be on my own a little bit and just before I drop in I try to think about something else.

What are your favourite places for snowboarding that you have visited around the world? And favourite competitions?

-Japan for sure, I love snow and Japan has a lot of snow! And my favorite competition has always been European Open called Laax Open nowadays. Laax is also a really fun place to ride because they have everything from jumps to rails, pipe and pow!

When seen from outside, the atmosphere around snowboarding always looks happy and easy going. Is it easy to make new friends around the tour circuit?

-I think it is, especially on the girls side we all hang out together. I think the atmosphere is pretty welcoming for the new younger riders.

Are there any other snowboarders that you particularly admire?

Markku Koski and Arthur Longo and many more

Have you thought in the future what would you like doing when you will stop competing at high level? Would you like to continue linked to the sport, or try some other areas?

-I hope next I could start filming video parts and riding more pow. After that I’m not sure, I think I will always stay in snowboarding somehow maybe do some other stuff too, will see.

You are confirmed as one participant in the incoming X Games in Norway that will take place in May. What are your expectations about the event?

I’m really excited about it, I think it’s gonna be a really different experience again. I also like Norway so it should be fun!

Anything else you would like to add for your readers?

-Let’s go snowboarding!

For more information about X Games in Norway, visit: http://xgames.espn.com/xgames/norway/

Photos by ESPN IMAGES

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Articles Misc

Helsinki Tourist Information to move to Central Railway Station

As of this May, visitors to the Finnish capital will be served by Tourist Information at two new locations. Tourist Information will focus even more on digital services and face-to-face interactions. Other seasonal services for visitors will also begin at the start of May.

In addition to Helsinki Region Tourist Information at Helsinki Airport, tourist information services will be available at the Central Railway Station and inside Stockmann’s department store beginning this May. The main Tourist Information office that has been located for the past fifty years on the Esplanade will move to the ticket hall of the historic Central Railway Station. The current office on the corner of Pohjoisesplanadi and Unioninkatu will remain open as normal until Sunday 22 April.

In addition to the new office at the Central Railway Station, a MyHelsinki service point will be set up inside Stockmann’s department store in the city centre. The new service point will offer digital services for finding information, as well as maps and brochures.

The new locations will open in May. During the move, Tourist Information services will be available from Virka Info inside City Hall.

Visitors rely on the internet these days to search for information, so the needs for traditional tourist information services have changed. At the same time, personal recommendations and face-to-face interactions are still a vital part of the visitor experience. Our new locations will help us serve visitors even better in the places where they are most likely to have questions,” says Laura Aalto, CEO of Helsinki Marketing.

Personal recommendations also digitally and courtesy of Helsinki Helpers

Helsinki Marketing has taken major steps in the development of digital services for visitors. The award-winning MyHelsinki.fi website serves visitors in six languages, and all the content is based on local recommendations. In addition, services for Chinese visitors are also being developed in collaboration with Tencent, one of the world’s biggest digital service providers.

Visitors to Helsinki in summertime are also served on the streets of the city by the Helsinki Helpers in their easily identifiable green jackets. This year they will begin their season already in May. In addition, tourist information will still be available in the historic centre of Helsinki during the summer season at the convenient Info Container by the Market Square. The Info Container will serve visitors next to the Havis Amanda fountain starting from Thursday 3 May.

Tourist Information premises on the Esplanade now available to new tenants

Following the move to the Central Railway Station, the Tourist Information premises on the Esplanade will be available to new tenants. The Tori Quarters commercial district is currently looking for a suitable business for the premises, which occupy a prime location in the historic city centre.

The Tourist Information office on the corner of Pohjoisesplanadi and Unioninkatu is without doubt one of the most attractive premises in the city centre. The location welcomes visitors coming from the Esplanade Park and Market Square to the historic Tori Quarters. We are looking for an attractive business that could further enhance the diverse offerings in the Tori Quarters for locals and visitors alike,” says Peggy Bauer, Operative Director for the Tori Quarters commercial district.

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Articles Misc

Tallinn Music Week introduces best restaurants in town, popular street food, craft coffee, flashy cocktail bars and cooking workshops.

The TMW pop-up bar that has become one of the most popular hotspots among the festival’s visitors in the last four years will again open its doors at the centrally located Design and Architecture Gallery. Renard Coffee Shop will offer a quality coffee from Scandinavia’s top micro-roasteries and culinary duo Raba Peet will take care of the taste experiences.

Keit Lillemäe, one of the founders of Renard Coffee Shop, a small coffee bar with a big spirit that operated near Telliskivi Creative City until January of this year, promises to create a lovely meeting place for the festival’s visitors: “TMW has always been a very inspirational festival for me. This time, the expectations are especially big and challenging. Together with my sister Kadi Maidre as the culinary duo Raba Peet we promise that nobody shall leave the cafe with an empty stomach.”

In addition to the pop-up bar, there are 25 eating and drinking spots in the TMW restaurants selection which offer special TMW menus carefully crafted by their head chefs as well as special offers to the owners of the festival passes.

Among others, the restaurants presented include the pre-eminent plant-based restaurant Von Krahli AED, healthy vegan buffet BlissTray, cozy cake shop & cafe Ristikheina Kohvik, brasserie restaurant and Golden Era-style cocktail bar Tabac, creative “fusion-confusion” restaurant Kolm Sibulat, coffee pantry KOKOMO and a unique beer shop TapTap at Rotermann Quarter, restaurant Korsten, Armastus ja Hea Toit based at the Tallinn Creative Hub, and restaurant Sfäär with rooms inspired by the aesthetic universe of Estonian artist Tõnis Vint.

As part of the TMW and in cooperation with the Estonian Refugee Council, there will be cooking workshops followed by dinners “Let’s get to know each other!” held in the demo kitchen at Balti Station Market. Knowledgeable nutritionists can participate in sustainable brunches by Korilase Köök and fans of the Latin American kitchen can join home dinners “Taco night with Mexicans”.

All TMW 2018 passes include special offers at the TMW Tastes restaurants. Clients of festival’s presenter Telia get a 20% discount on all pre-sale tickets and passes.

The project “Let’s get to know each other!” is financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Estonian Ministry of the Interior.

Additional information:
tmw.ee/festival/tastes

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Articles Misc

Musiikkiaiheiset pelit toimivat tribuutteina suosikkiartisteille

Musiikki on etenkin nykyaikana paljon enemmän kuin pelkkiä säveliä. Bändien ja artistien ympäriltä löytyy yhtä sun toista oheistuotetta aina erilaisista fanituotteista nimikkojuomiin ja toimintafiguureihin. Onpa joistakin aikojemme merkittävimmistä yhtyeistä ja legendaarisimmista artisteista tehty elokuviakin. Aivan oma lukunsa ovat musiikin ja bändien maailmasta tehdyt pelit, jotka ovat hieno tapa tehdä kunniaa loistavalle musiikille.

Kitaran varteen Guitar Hero ja Rock Band -peleissä

Hyvin toteutettujen pelien siivellä pääsee paitsi maistamaan aitoa rock-tunnelmaa, myös nauttimaan suosikkiyhtyeensä musiikista. Pelit voivat myös tarjota mahdollisuuden olla tähtenä bändin riveissä – tällainen peli on esimerkiksi todella suosittu The Beatles: Rock Band. PlayStation 3:lle, Wii:lle ja Xbox 360:lle vuonna 2009 julkaistu peli pitää sisällään 45 The Beatlesin kappaletta, joita pelaajat pääsevät soittamaan sekä laulamaan yksin tai porukalla. Rock Band -pelisarjaan kuuluu myös samaan henkeen kasattu laatupeli Green Day -yhtyeestä.

Klassikkobändit mukana kolikkopeleissä

Myös netin kasinoilla on useita musiikkiaiheisia videokolikkopelejä, joita pelaamalla pääset sukeltamaan esimerkiksi Motörheadin ja Guns N’ Rosesin maailmaan. Kummatkin pelit ovat nettikasinoalan valmistajajätti NetEntin käsialaa ja ne on julkaistu vuonna 2017.

Asennetta näistä peleistä ei totisesti puutu – taidolla toteutettua Guns N’ Roses -kolikkopeliä pelatessaan voi miltei tuntea olevansa mukana jollakin yhtyeen legendaarisista ja ylistetyistä keikoista eikä Motörheadin nimikkopeli jää vertailussa huonommalle sijalle sekään. Riippuneekin ennen kaikkea omasta musiikkimausta, kumman pelin puikoissa on parempi meininki!

Peliseikkailua rankalla heavy metal -mausteella

Perinteisempää seikkailupeliä kaipaavat metallin ystävät nauttivat taatusti vuonna 2009 julkaistusta Brütal Legend -pelistä. PlayStation 3 ja Xbox 360 -konsoleille julkaistu strategia-seikkailupeli on Double Fine Productionsin kehittämä ja sen ääniraidalta löytyy 108 kappaleen verran metallimusiikkia aina Judas Priestista Ozzy Osbourneen. Pelissä vilisee myös genrestä tuttuihin legendoihin pohjautuvia hahmoja, jotka ovat tunnistettavuudessaan todella hauskoja. Ääninäyttelijöinä toimivat hahmojen esikuvat, muun muassa Motörhead-legenda Lemmy Kilmister. Pelivalmistajan mukaan huippusuositusta pelistä on vielä jossain vaiheessa luvassa jatko-osa ja sitä moni heavyn ystävä odottaakin kieli pitkällä kuin Gene Simmonsilla konsanaan.

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Articles Misc

Video: Surviving 24h in Helsinki with no money

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Articles Misc

Two special two-euro Finnish commemorative coins will be released in 2018, along with a series of commemorative five-euro coins

Two Finnish special two-euro commemorative coins will be released in 2018. The theme of the special commemorative coin released in the spring will be Finnish National Landscape Koli and the autumn’s special coin will pay tribute to Finnish Sauna Culture. The launch of nine five-euro commemorative coins in honour of Finland’s National Landscapes is also in the works.

Finland’s national landscapes symbolise the Finnish character and have a generally recognised significance in Finland’s national culture, history and perception of nature. The total mintage of the special two-euro commemorative coins paying tribute to Koli National Park in North Karelia will be one million. Mint of Finland is also planning a 2018 release of nine commemorative coins themed around Finnish national landscapes. The nominal value of each base-metal commemorative coin will be five euros.

The first special two-euro commemorative coin to be released in 2018 will share its theme of Koli with the opening coin in the series of five-euro Finnish National Landscapes coins. In the summer of 2017, Mint of Finland coordinated an online poll in which the Finns voted for nine of their most beloved national landscapes to be featured on the commemorative coins. Koli National Park received the most votes in the poll.

The obverse of the Finnish National Landscapes Koli commemorative coin depicts the view from the summit of Koli, while the reverse bears an image of the map of Finland. The commemorative coin is designed by Erkki Vainio (obverse) and Mari Metso (reverse) on the basis of a photograph taken by Juha-Pekka Järvenpää.

The maximum mintages of commemorative coins released in the Finnish National Landscapes series will be 3,000 proof-quality coins and 15,000 UNC-quality coins per release.

The mintage of the Finnish Sauna Culture special two-euro commemorative coins released in the autumn of 2018 will be one million. The special commemorative coin is designed by Erkki Vainio.

Special two-euro commemorative coins can be obtained as change in regular circulation or purchased from the Mint of Finland online shop, www.mint.fi, and from retailers. Finnish National Landscapes commemorative coins will be available from the Mint of Finland online shop and the mint’s retailers.

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Articles Blogs FREE! Blog Misc

Finnish stand up comedian Ismo shows us how ass is the most complicated word in English language

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Concerts Music

Anathema at The Circus in Helsinki, concert on November 9th

Helsinki likes Anathema and Anathema likes Helsinki. The British band visits often the Finnish capital during their “The Optimist” tour, having increased the capacity of their gigs from Tavastia to a middle size venue as The Circus is, during their last appearances here. A tour that certainly has been packed with a lot of dates in just a few months, the day before Helsinki the band had also performed at Pakkahuone in Tampere, so they are really pushing the pedal with not much rest for several months in a row.

Even when being a cold Thursday and with the concert starting at a late hour after 22 p.m. the Finnish audience once more was faithful with a packed venue (although many people did not stay for the last songs of the Encore as probably they needed to head home for an early start at work next day Friday).

We will save here from commenting the gig of the opening band, the French metallers Alcest, as we just arrived on time to see the main performers, but they have been receiving quite a positive praise along this extensive tour, so we hope we have a chance to check them out later on.

With some minutes of delay after 22, Anathema, the band from Liverpool, took finally the stage appearing in their positions one by one slowly while the instrumental theme San Francisco sounded in the background.The 3 Cavanagh brothers taking the front of the stage with Portuguese drummer Daniel Cardoso supporting from the drums and the always unmistakable beautiful female voice of Lee Douglas to support the band through most parts of the show.

What came next was one of my favorite moments in the whole concert, the amazing 2 parts of “Untouchable“, a really epic work of melodic metal. Later on the setlist that followed was maybe not the best one for my taste, I would have expected a few more classic themes (for example the setlist of their release live concert Universal filmed in Bulgaria with an orchestra is superb for my taste) and we have to be honest with the weak reception of their latest album, as for many fans is the worst they have released in many years. But understandably, the band was touring with that new album, so the setlist had to be adjusted.

Some funny moments with guitarist Danny Cavanagh being very talkative to the audience “are you calling me a prick?” asked with some dose of British accent or “if you consider me a good songwriter, and I think I am ok, I hope you like next one” while his brother, vocalist Vincent Cavanagh jumped from one place on stage to the next hyperactive and cheerful, singing or hammering drums, spiking up the good energy levels of the show for the Finnish fans.

The show ended as traditionally with a powerful version of “Fragile Dreams” with a very tasty intro of Shine on you Crazy Diamond from Pink Floyd, so I would dare to say that, without diminishing the rest of the show with some pearls like “The Lost Song” or the crazy utopia of “Closer“, the start and the end were the best parts of the gig. See you soon Anathema!

Setlist:

San Francisco

Untouchable, Part 1

Untouchable, Part 2

Can’t Let Go

Endless Ways

The Optimist

The Lost Song, Part 3

Universal

Looking Outside Inside

Thin Air

Barriers

Pressure

The Beginning and the End

A Simple Mistake

Closer

Encore:

Firelight

Distant Satellites

Springfield

Back to the Start

Deep

Lost Control

Destiny

Fragile Dreams
(with Shine on You Crazy Diamond/See Emily Play intro)

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Art Exhibitions

EMMA brings art by Hans Rosenström under the Tapiola sky as part of the Helsinki Festival

Hans Rosenström + Stormglas: Off Seasons
17 August–3 September 2017, The WeeGee Exhibition Centre forecourt, Tapiola, Espoo

EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art takes part in the Helsinki Festival by presenting its’ new collection acquisition Off Seasons. The work is on display on the museum forecourt in the sculpture park in front of the WeeGee Exhibition Centre, where it forms a dialogue with the sounds and elements of its environment and is free for all to see.

Off Season consists of music, structures and plants, forming one unified artwork. The result is an intense, multisensory and immersive experience where viewers can spend time and enjoy the environment. Off Seasons is a sound installation based on the collaboration between the visual artist Hans Rosenström and the Danish artist duo Stormglas (Andreas Borregaard and Mikkel Sørensen.

The work gives the audience an opportunity to listen to the interpretation of the theme of four seasons by four contemporary Nordic composers. The music is composed by Rasmus Zwicki, Fredrik Österling, Sunleif Rasmussen and Martin Rane Bauck. The composers, selected by Stormglas, chose their preferred season, which formed the basis for their composition. Stormglas’ only rule was that the music had to be composed for a quintet. Hans Rosenström edited a soundtrack from the compositions for the work Off Seasons.

“The four seasons are such a familiar theme in classical music, with Vivaldi’s composition of course being the best-known of treatments of it. I combined the seasons into one work, with the intention perhaps to comment on how these days we try to live oblivious to seasons, as if they made no difference,” says Hans Rosenström.

The music was composed for five different instruments, namely electric guitar, accordion, violin, piano and double bass. These, in addition to the sound of breathing, can all be heard through the various speakers. The soundtrack lasts about 30 minutes, and plays on a loop. The work was originally created on commission by the Chart Art Fair in Denmark, and was shown as part of the art fair’s programme in autumn 2016. There it was presented in the courtyard of Copenhagen’s Kunsthal Charlottenborg.

Sound has a special role in Hans Rosenström’s art. He has created sound installations for public spaces and exhibitions throughout the world. The permanent public work of art in the ferry terminal in Stockholm’s Gärdet offers a glimpse into the future. His work that recently featured at the recent ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum Triennial was based on the image of ruins in one of Caspar David Friedrich’s paintings. In Off Seasons, Rosenström returns to the same themes: the mutually opposing concepts of building and ruin, and their presence in our lives and environment.

Off Seasons has recently been acquired for EMMA’s collection and can be set up both indoors and outdoors, changing the location and adjusting the work accordingly. EMMA aims to renew the use of museum collections with modifiable, temporary works and renewable conceptual works in order to regenerate public art, and in this way to take art beyond the confines of museum walls.

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Concerts Music

The Sounds at Allas Pool, Helsinki

Indie music label Fullsteam celebrated its 15 year anniversary with a very special gig at an amazing location: Swedish band The Sounds playing at Allas Pool in the heart of Helsinki in Katajanokka district.

Finnish music scene has a lot to thank the irruption of Fullsteam in the business in Finland, a company that brought fresh air to a scene dominated mainly by heavy metal bands and has gained the hearts of a new generation of music lovers with a more diversified taste for pop rock style. To put the cherry on top of the cake, they organized a very pleasant event at Allas Sea Pool.

Allas Pool is a new public swimming pool that opened last summer in the heart of Helsinki, in front of the presidential palace, in a very exclusive great scenario just close to the sea where you can have a swim while watching the big ferries departing to Tallinn and Stockholm. From the Swedish country came the main act of the night, The Sounds, with Mira Luoti previously opening as performer the summer night where miraculously the weather respected and did not rain until the show was over.

The concert was a pleasant way to start a Friday evening, young hipsters Finnish fans were mixed in the crowd with some more older followers, almost everybody with a drink on their hands to warm up a weekend night out in the Finnish capital. The concert itself can be considered as a warm up for the incoming Flow Festival that will take place this next weekend with a great array of artists for all tastes, a festival that closes symbolically the music summer season in Helsinki (yes my friends, winter is coming…and summer did never fully arrive this year).

The Sounds delivered with their easy going attitude and happy music and put everybody’s mood in high levels, with their attractive blonde singer Maja Ivarsson hyperactively moving from one side to the other of the stage, teasing the audience constantly lifting her summer dress to show those long legs that turn crazy both men and women in the audience. Mood got at its highest with their huge hit Living in America, and although alltogether with the encore, the concert did not last too long, everybody seemed to be leaving the venue satisfied in search of night adventures or for a good rest before Flow Festival comes to town.

15 years of Fullsteam and hopefully another many more to come to continue bringing a fresh breeze to the Finnish music scene!

The Sounds Setlist at Helsinki Allas Sea Pool 04/08/2017

Song With a Mission

Queen of Apology

Shake Shake Shake

The Darkness

Seven Days a Week

4 Songs & A Fight

No One Sleeps When I’m Awake

Thrill

Living in America

Dorchester Hotel

Rock & Roll

Night After Night

Painted by Numbers

Encore:
Tony the Beat

Hope You’re Happy Now